This invention relates to information and media delivery systems and, more particularly, to information and media delivery systems that include a portable user device having code scanning features.
With the advent of modern electronic distribution systems, society has access to an unprecedented amount of information and media. In many delivery systems, the amount of available information and media can often overwhelm users of such systems. Guidance systems, such as television program guides, guides for audio services, and guides for personal video recorders (PVRs), have been developed to aid users in navigating available information and media (e.g., television programs, pay-per-view programs, near-video-on-demand (NVOD) programs, video-on-demand (VOD) programs, music, promotional materials, and other types of media) and finding desirable content. Improving the user interfaces of guidance systems and other information and media delivery systems may increase the ease with which users can navigate through media and information.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to facilitate the retrieval of information associated with products, goods, or services.
This and other objects are accomplished in accordance with the principles of the present invention by providing systems and methods for using a portable device with a code scanner.
The portable device with a code scanner may be used to acquire information associated with codes in response to codes being scanned. The information may be acquired from any suitable source. The information may be displayed on an output device at the portable device or at a docking station. An action associated with the scanned code may then be performed.
The portable device with a code scanner may be used to scan codes printed or displayed on any medium such as printed publications, maps, walls, doorways, signs, street signs, addresses, public announcements, menus in restaurant (e.g., in windows or at the table), invoices, printouts of web-pages, products, brochures, tickets, microfiche, television screens, movie theater screens, or any other suitable medium. The codes may or may not be in public view. Such codes may be one or two dimensional. Such codes may include bar-codes such as Universal Product Codes (UPC), EAN Article Numbering (EAN) codes, Japanese Article Numbering (JAN) codes, International Article Numbering (IAN) codes, International Standard Book Number (ISBN) codes, scannable digital water marks, or any other suitable code. For example, code scanning equipment may also be able to read text. The portable device may be any suitable portable device, such as a remote control, cell phone, e-book, personal digital assistant (PDA), equipped with code scanning circuitry and software. Any suitable code scanning circuitry and software may be used.
The portable device may scan codes and obtain information or media associated with scanned codes using any suitable approach. For example, information associated with scanned codes may be stored in a storage device at the portable device. The portable device, may communicate scanned codes to any suitable site. Information and media associated with the scanned codes, may be communicated to the portable device from any suitable site. Such sites may include any suitable remote site (e.g., a web-site, a television distribution facility, a data service provider), a docking station, another portable device, or any other suitable site.
The portable device may have communications circuitry suitable for obtaining such information and media. Communications circuitry may be used to obtain information or media, or access a web-page, and may be able to obtain such information and media via a wireless or wired connection. Information communicated to the portable device may be presented to the user via an output device at the portable device.
If desired, the portable device may communicate with a docking station. A docking station may be any suitable device such as, for example, a personal computer (PC), a television set-top box and/or television, or any other suitable device. The docking station may maintain a database of information associated with codes.
The portable device and docking station may communicate via any suitable connection. Such connections may include infrared, radio-frequency, serial, parallel, etc. Any suitable communications protocol or standard such as IEEE standard 802.11(b), FireWire, or Bluetooth may be used.
The docking station may communicate information or media to the portable device for presentation to the user, or may present the information to the user itself. The docking station may include an output device to present information to the user. If the docking station includes an output device, it may be unnecessary to include an output device at the portable device.
The docking station may obtain information to be presented or communicated to the portable device. The portable device may also obtain information to be presented. The docking station or portable device may obtain information or media from a server or a web-page over a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), or the Internet.
Information that the portable scanning device system may present to the user may include, for example, information associated with television program listings. Codes associated with television program listings may be printed in a television program guide. In response to such a code being scanned, program information for a program may be displayed. Reminders for events, such as the broadcast of a television program, may be set by the user of the portable scanning device system, or automatically in response to a code being scanned. The recording of a television program or television series may also be scheduled.
Other information may include information associated with goods, services or products. In response to a code associated with an item that may be purchased or traded, information associated with the item may be presented. The user may then order the item.
In another aspect of the invention, enhanced information associated with codes may be presented in response to a code being scanned. Such information may be, for example, promotional media, such as text, graphics, audio, video, animations, or any other suitable media associated with the printed promotional material.
The portable scanning device system may also be used to schedule the use of equipment (e.g., computers, overhead projectors, etc.) or facilities (e.g., conference rooms, lecture halls, workrooms, etc.). Codes associated with facilities and equipment may be scanned. Such codes may be placed, for example, on the doorways of facilities, on maps, or on equipment. The portable device may then obtain the upcoming schedule of use for the facility or equipment. The user of the portable scanning device system may then schedule the use of the equipment or facility.
The portable device may also be used to scan codes associated with movie listings or promotions, concert promotions, exhibit promotions, or promotions or listings associated with other scheduled events. Schedules, seating availabilities, ticket prices, or other suitable information for these events may then be presented to the user. The portable scanning device system may allow the user to order tickets for the events.
In a further aspect of the invention, printouts of web-pages may be automatically labeled with codes by, for example, a web-browser running on a portable device or a docking station. The code may indicate the Universal Resource Locator (URL) of the printed page. In response to the user scanning the code, the portable device may automatically launch a web-browser and access the page via the URL, thereby relieving the user of having to launch the browser and manually enter the URL. If desired, any link within a web-page may be coded to allow the user to scan a code associated with the link and automatically go to the linked resource.
In a further aspect of the invention, users may scan codes associated with articles in newspapers or other periodicals. The portable device may then access a web document associated with the article and provide the user with information that supplements the content of the article. In another suitable approach, the portable device may obtain supplemental information and present the information to the user. In this way, publishers may direct the users to web-sites or other electronic documents associated with the original printed publication. The web-sites and other electronic documents may be used to provide additional advertising and purchase opportunities, if desired.
In a further aspect of the invention, the portable scanning device system may present translated information. People who do not understand the language in which the matter is printed may scan a code associated with the matter. The portable scanning device system may use the scanned information to download the printed matter in the language of the user. This may be performed based on, for example, a user profile set up in the device. In another suitable approach, the portable device may access a web-site or a web-page that has the printed matter in the user""s language. This may relieve the user of having to translate such printed matter using electronic or non-electronic means. These web-sites or information may be maintained by governmental or private entities interested in providing printed matter in multiple languages.
In a further aspect of the invention, users may scan codes associated with products while shopping in a mall or other store. The user may also scan codes while at home. The portable device may store the codes or upload them to a station. The portable device or the station may allow the users to purchase the products remotely. If desired, the portable device or the station may periodically query the merchants"" web-sites to determine if the products associated with the scanned codes are on sale (i.e., sold at a price lower than their normal price), or if merchants are having sales in general. The portable device or station may notify the user of the sale. The user may then order the product at the sale price using the portable device or station. This sale-finding feature may also be performed for products or catalog items scanned within the home. In still another suitable approach, the portable device or the docking station may search the Internet for the best price available for products associated with scanned codes.